1. Ar ou n d t h e Region
Th e F la gsh ip P u blica t ion of Na vy Region Midwest Reser ve Com pon ent Com m a n d
J a n u a r y 2013
t h is issu e
J ob F a ir Ta r get s NOSC Tu lsa P .1
J ones Assu m es Com m an d of ROC P .2
Wa lm ar t H on or s Vet er a n s P.3
NOSC Ch ica go Tr a in s it s Sa ilor s P .4
ROC CH AN GE OF COMMAND
J ob F a ir s Aim t o Recr u it Vet er a n s for P r ofession a l
Sect or
Yolanda Berry waited patiently with a group of other veterans and military personnel for
the employers to set up their booths. They were hoping to find employment, or at least a
lead among the more than 85 employers there, who desire the skill sets veterans have. Ca pt a in Dir k L. F ost er a ssu m es
com m a n d of NR E URAF SWA
“Being in the military 22 years, I have a lot of things I could do,” said Chief Information Region a l Oper a t ion s Com m a n d.
Systems Technician Berry, who is on active duty at NOSC Tulsa, but plans to retire soon. F or t h e fu ll st or y, see P a ge 2.
More than 300 veterans and spouses were expected to attend the “Hiring our Heroes” job F r on t P a ge P h ot o
fair. The event was sponsored in part by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has held
LS2 (SW) Cedr ick Wa sh in gt on
more than 350 job fairs targeting veterans within the last two years.
t a lks t o Sim Ga r r iot t i, fr om
Lockh eed Ma r t in , a bou t a
Among the employers at the event were local law enforcement, first responders, pot en t ia l in t er view, du r in g a job
manufacturing and sales companies from both the private and public sectors. Resources to fa ir . Th e U.S. Ch a m ber of
assist veterans with resumes were also available. Com m er ce h a s been t a r get in g
vet er a n s for t op posit ion s in bot h
Berry said having all these tools readily available helped her get a better idea of the t h e pu blic a n d pr iva t e sect or .
opportunities in her area. Con t in ued on P a ge 2
January 2013 ● Around the Region Newsletter ● Page 1

2. J on es Assu m es H elm of Na vy Reser ve
E URAF SWA Region a l Oper a t ion s Cen t er
By MC2 (SW) Lou is Ba t ch elor , NRMW RCC P u blic Affa ir s
Captain Dirk Foster relieved Captain
Andy Jones as Commander, Navy
Reserve EURAFSWA Regional
Operations Center, in a Change of
Command Ceremony, held Saturday,
December 8th, 2012 inside of Naval
Station Great Lakes’ historical clock
tower building.
Captain Foster was accepted into the J ob F a ir , Con t in u ed F r om
Navy Nuclear Officer Propulsion P g.1
Program in June 1985 while still “This is a better way of searching than
attending college at North Dakota State spending hours online,” Berry said. “It
University. Following graduation from allows us to get a better feel.”
NDSU with a Bachelor of Science degree
in Mechanical Engineering, he attended Berry said she was assigned to the
Officer Candidate School in Newport, NOSC earlier this year and has come to
Cavalla conducted a Western Pacific Deployment
Rhode Island, where he was love the community. When the chance
from March 1990 to September 1990. Captain
commissioned an Ensign on September to retire arose, she elected to find out
Foster left active duty service in September 1990
28th, 1986. what the next chapter of her life in
and returned to his home state of Minnesota. He
joined the Navy Reserves in October of 1990. Tulsa would have in store.
He attended Nuclear Propulsion School in
While serving in the Navy Reserves, Captain
Orlando, Fl and Nuclear Prototype “You get a little nervous the closer you
Foster has had various positions of increasing
Training on S1W at Idaho Falls, Id. From get to the date,” she said. “Because I
responsibility including Operations Officer of
March to June 1987, he attended am a veteran, I am looking for a
Harbor Defense Command Unit (HDCU) 111,
Submarine Officer’s Basic Course in company I can work well with.”
Commanding Officer of Mobile Inshore Undersea
Groton, Ct. In June 1987, he reported to
Warfare Unit (MIUWU) 103, Administrative and Denise Reed, director of talent
USS Cavalla, SSN-684 at the Mare Island
Manpower Department Head for Commander, strategies for the Tulsa Regional
Shipyard in Mare Island, Ca. The USS
U.S. Naval Forces Japan HQ (NR CNFJ HQ,) the Chamber, which coordinated the event,
Cavalla remained in the shipyard until
Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer to said many employers are looking to hire
January 1989.
the State of Minnesota and, most recently, the veterans.
Transferring homeports to Pearl Harbor, Executive Officer or NR CNFJ HQ at NOSC,
HI in February 1989, and the USS Minneapolis. “The military is known for being
Con t in ued on P a ge 4
responsible and on time, all of the
things employers seek in a job-ready
F a ir Win ds a nd F ollowin g Sea s, Capt a in J on es… candidate,” Reed said. “We have a
Left : Ca p ta in An d re w M. J o n e s community very engaged and interested
a d d re s s e s h i s c re w o n e la s t tim e
in supporting veterans and their
in s p e e c h , be fo re re a d in g th e
families.”
c h a n g e o f c h a rg e o rd e rs ,
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce set a
re lie v in g h im o f c o m m a n d o v e r
goal to encourage companies to provide
th e re g io n a l o p e ra tio n s c e n te r.
employment for 500,000 by 2014.
Since early 2011, the group has helped
Above: Ca p ta in D irk L. F o s t e r,
place more than 14,000 veterans and
n e w ly a p p o in te d c o m m a n d i n g
their spouses.
o ffic e r, EU RAF S WA ROC,
re n d e rs h o n o rs be fo re ta k i n g Above: Chief Information Systems
c h a rg e o f h is n e w c o m m a n d . Technician (SW) Yolanda Berry. Photo by
IT3 Vanessa Holguin, NOSC Tulsa Public
P h ot os by MC2 (SW) Lou is Ba tch elor , Affairs.
NRMW RCC Pu blic Affa ir s.
January 2013 ● Around the Region Newsletter ● Page 2

3. NOSC Siou x F a lls Sea bees
P r epa r e t o Mobilize
Wa lm a r t H ost s “P a t r iot ic” Th a n k You” t o
Vet er a n s Na va l Mobile Con st r u ct ion
Ba t t a lion 15, fr om NOSC Siou x
F a lls is cu r r en t ly u n der goin g
By Leslie Met ds on “Th e Brr da y Ar r ow Ledgert”
Blu st er y win zger , a Sa t u ok en cer ifica t es of appr ecia t ion t o t r a in in g in Gulfpor t , MS, in
m or n in g did n ot stop a pa t r iotic em ployees wh o were eit h er vet er an s pr epa r a t ion for t h eir u pcom in g
t r ibu te for vet er an s Nov. 10 a t or fa m ily m em bers of veter a n s. deploym en t t o Afgh a n ist a n . Th is
Wa lm ar t , 3900 E . H illside Dr ive. will be t h e Sea bee Ba t t a lion ‟s fin a l
A specia l "F la g of Th an ks" ga ve deploym en t .
A cr owd st ood in h on or a n d silen ce visitor s an oppor t u n it y to person a lize
“A lot of people a r e excit ed,” sa id
a s t wo ser vicem en r a ised a n a t r ibu te. Ch ief J eff Ch eskie, NMCB 15
Am erican fla g t o blow bea u t ifu lly in LCP O. “Th er e h a s been a lot of
t h e ea rly br eeze. "Th e 'F la g of Th a n ks' a llows a n yon e bu ildu p a n d I a m excit ed t o go!”
h er e t o wr it e a lit t le n ot e on t h er e,
"Toda y, Wa lma r t a s a com pa n y ju st t o t h an k all of ou r milita r y folks ever ybody‟s righ be ah edla st
H owever , t h is will ts t n
deploym en t for on e ba t t a lion .
decided t o h on or t h e vet er a n s - n ot for t h eir ser vice," Ton on sa id. fr eedom s t o m a ke good ch oices,
on ly t h e vet er an s wh o a re em ployed even ca reer oppor r u ct ion
Na va l Mobile Con st t u n ities,"
by Wa lma r t , bu t a lso t h e vet er a n s in Sever a l vet er a n s an d t h eir fa m ilies sa idt a lion 15 is aupa r tt o rtespect a
Ba t P riddy. "J st of h e
ou r com mu n it y," sa id visited with on e a n oth er , t a kin g a lot of rpeoplewin g tof t hla r lyvy. a t
con st u ct ion pa r icu e Na t h
m om en t t o hUn like m ostt h rh er gh ilor s, t h e in g
a ve gon e ot ou sa ever yt h
Wa lm ar „Sea bees‟ a r e ba sedh r ou gh twh er e
t h a t we've gon e t on la n d, h e
lah ey10 ild ars."h in g fr om ba ses t o
t
st bu yea n yt
r u n wa ys in h ost ile t er r it or y. Bu t ,
for t h is con st r u ct ion ba t t a lion wit h
“If we ca n ‟t a ppr ecia t e Vet era n sH erber t P icket t th isid it
r eser vist fr om Siou x F a lls sa
is imporhta n t t o lh on or veter a n s.
will be t eir fin a deploym en t .
t h em [vet er a n s] t h en
we‟ve got pr oblem s.” "If dozen or 't appr ecia t e vist s fill
A we ca n so Na vy Reser t h em ,
t ouent h eir r em a in in goblems," k a s
h t we've got pr pa per wor
t h ey pr epa r e for a yea r lon g
P icket t sa id. "We wer en 't
deploym en t .
-H er ber t P icket t , vet er an a ppr ecia t ed wh en we ca m e
ba ck tfrhom of t h e 27, in so dinga
Abou a lf Vietn a m , clu it 's
worief Jof differen ce n ow t h a h eir
Ch ld eff Ch eskie, will begin t n
wh a n ey on Suwa yy.ba ck t h en ."
jou r t it wa s n da
P h ot os cour t esy “The Broken Arrow Ledger”
“A lot of people a r e excit ed. I'm
ou r com mu n it y,” sa id Wa lm a r t visited with on e a n oth er , t a kin g a Ton on 'st o go. It 'sr been a lot ba ck t o
excit ed a n cest y t ra ces of
Developm en t al Sh ift Ma n a ger Ka ren m om en t t o r em em ber t h e sa cr ifices t bu ild u p. So, InhRevolu tion , soe
h e Amer ica ope t o get it don
Ton on . so m a n y m en an d wom en h a ve m ade m ilit.aWe've in own we wer e goin g
wit h r y is kn h er blood.
for Am erica . t o m obilize for a bou t a yea r n ow,”
As com m u n it y m em bers a n d "I com eief omeskie. g lin e of
sa id Ch fr Ch a lon
vet er a n s ga zed a t t h e r ed, wh it e a n d Wa lm ar t Mer ch an disin g Su per visor vet er a n s m yself. My da u gh t er
Wh ile n ot a ll t h e det a ils ha ve been
blu e, t oget h er t h ey sa id th e P ledge of a n d Na vy veter an Cu r t is P r iddy sa id is aa Mar in e.t h eiredeploym en t ,tth e
fin lized for Sh ser ved in h e
Allegia n ce. t h e celebr a tion m ean t a lot . P r esiden tkn ows t h ey'llwith g doin g
ba t t a lion ial Gu a rd bein
P r esiden t Bu sh fora in edr t yea r s,"
wh a t t h ey've been t r fou o do
A r ecept ion in side followed with "A gr ea t appr ecia t ion for Ton on sa id.
don u ts a n d coffee. Wa lma r t ever ybody's r igh t s a n d freedom s t o “We'r e pr oba bly goin g t o be t a kin g
pr ovided January 2013● good ch oices,
m a ke Around the Region Newsletter ● Page 3 H er fatthh era r e aved dy est ae USS.
ba ses a t
ser lr ea on t h blish ed
ou t . Th en pr oba bly goin g t o be
Win slowuassom e mShe,” sa id Ch ief
bu ildin g p well. or e sa id

4. Sea bee E a r n s NOSC
Colu m bu s SOY
Ch a n ge of Com m a n d, Con t in u ed fr om P a ge 2 CM1 J oh n Thom pson of NMCB #26
wa s a wa r ded the Na va l
Captain Foster was mobilized to the Puget Sound area for Operation Noble E xpedit ion ar y Com ba t Com m a n d
Eagle with MIUWU-102 from January to October 2002, to Ash Shuaybab, (NE CC) Sa ilor of t he Yea r Awa rd.
Kuwait for Operation Iraqi Freedom with HDCU-11 from January to
CM1 Th om pson wa s deployed t o
September 2004 and as the Chief Staff Officer for the Naval Surface Ku wa it fr om Oct ober 2010 t hr ou gh
Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, Ca, from April to September 2009. J u n e 2011 where h e served a s
E m ba r ka t ion Lea din g P et ty Officer
for t he Movem en t Con t rol Cen t er
Captain Foster is authorized to wear the Meritorious Service Medal (2), t h en Em ba r ka t ion Ch ief Pet t y
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4), Coast Guard Officer for the 25 t h Na va l
Commendation Medal with Operational device, Navy and Marine Corps Con st ru ct ion Regim en t . Pet t y
Officer Th om pson wa s a wa r ded t h e
Achievement Medal (5), and the Command Ashore pin as well as various Na vy Ach ievem en t Meda l for t h e
unit and campaign awards. Captain Foster obtained his Advanced Joint su per ior per form a n ce of h is dut ies
du r in g th is t im e.
Professional Military Education Certificate from the National Defense
University in 2011. He currently lives in Vienna, Austria where he When a sked if he knew h is a ction s
over sea s wou ld lea d t o t h is level of
previously served as the Emergency Response Training Officer for the r ecogn it ion , Pet t y Officer Th om pson
International Atomic Energy Agency. r eplied, “It n ever crossed m y m in d.
I wa s ju st doin g m y job.”
NOSC Ch ica go E n gin eer s Take Ca r e of Assa u lt Boa t s
Rig h t: B M2 (EXW) La n e P a rk in s Con t a ct Us
a n d EN 2 (S W) Ch a s e N ic k e ls g u id e
If you have an interesting story from
a s m a ll a s s a u lt bo a t in to do c k
your NOSC, send it to the Around the
d u rin g s m a ll bo a t e x e r c ise s , Region Newsletter. Contact MC2(SW)
s p o n s o re d by N OS C Ch ic a g o . Louis Batchelor, at:
Louis.batchelor@navy.mil
Abo v e : Ca p ta in S c o tt La e d le in ,
Co m m a n d in g Offic e r, N OS C Please submit stories no later than the
Ch ic a g o , h e lp s g u id e a s m a ll 25th of the month. The story should be
a s s a u lt bo a t o n to c a rrie r tra c k s in .doc or .txt format, and the photos
should be sent as separate files, as
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January 2013 ● Around the Region Newsletter ● Page 4